AFC works to change education policy so that the public school system serves all children effectively. We publish policy reports and data analyses, testify at the City and State levels, speak out in the press to bring attention to the challenges facing the students and families we serve, and join with other advocates, parents, youth, and educators to call for change.
173 Results Found
The Fiscal Year 2026 budget must sustain important education programs funded with one-year city dollars and make additional investments to address pressing needs.
Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York (AFC), issued the following statement in response to the release of the New York City Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget.
More than 80 organizations are calling on Mayor Adams to include funding in his upcoming Executive Budget to meet the City’s legal obligation to preschoolers with disabilities. Specifically, they are urging the Mayor to continue the $55 million for preschool special education classes that is set to expire in June and to invest at least $70 million to provide preschoolers with disabilities with the evaluations and services they need.
AFC submitted public comment to the Panel for Educational Policy regarding the proposed amendments to the 2025–2029 Capital Plan, urging the City to allocate at least an additional $450 million (for a total of $1.25 billion) for school accessibility.
Kim Sweet, Executive Director of Advocates for Children of New York, issued the following statement in response to the President’s Executive Order seeking to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education.
Today, AFC and the ARISE Coalition (coordinated by AFC) are testifying at the New York City Council Committee on Education’s Preliminary Budget hearing.
Excellent public schools are essential to making New York City an attractive place to live and raise a family and to ensuring a strong foundation for our City’s future. Regardless of what happens at the federal level in the years ahead, it will be essential for New York City Public Schools to remain focused on the critical task of ensuring all young people receive the support they need to learn and thrive. Based on our experience helping thousands of New York City families each year, we urge the next Mayoral Administration to take on big challenges with bold ideas and stand firm in the face of threats to students’ civil rights.
AFC submitted testimony for the Joint Legislative Public Hearing on the 2025–26 State Health Budget, urging the State to invest in Early Intervention, as well as on the child care proposals in the Executive Budget: Human Services.
AFC, the Transition Alliance, and the ARISE Coalition testified before the City Council Committee on Education on Thursday, January 30th, 2025, on the need to improve special education services. The testimony called attention to the shortages of preschool special education classrooms and services, a lack of effective reading support for students struggling, inadequate behavioral health support, challenges with bus services, and more.
Today, AFC is testifying at the Joint Legislative Hearing on the 2025–2026 Executive State Budget Proposal for Elementary and Secondary Education.